Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday attributed the recent surge in commodity prices in Dhaka to traders' pursuit of excessive profits, likening their practices to extortion.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 'Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Security' course at the Bangladesh Police Staff College in Mirpur, Khan highlighted the disparity between prices at different markets, citing research on the costs incurred by trucks transporting goods to the capital.
"We have researched how much a truck carrying goods from a remote area needs to be paid until it reaches Dhaka, and how much the price increases after the goods are taken from the caravan market to another market," Khan stated.
He emphasized that while items sold for 20 taka in Karwan Bazar were priced at 40 taka just a short distance away, attributing this phenomenon to profit-seeking motives.
The home minister further addressed the issue of extortion along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, revealing ongoing police efforts to curb such activities through enhanced surveillance measures. He outlined plans to expand the use of cameras on all highways to deter extortion attempts in the future.
Responding to queries about combating price hikes driven by profit motives, he noted the involvement of various enforcement agencies, including those tasked with protecting consumer rights.
Khan affirmed that law enforcement agencies would take action whenever such practices were brought to their attention, underscoring their commitment to upholding public order and fair trade practices.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
